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If your child attends Wake County Public School System or your child will be moving into the system in fall 2017, now is the time to start considering your magnet school options for next year.

Magnet schools - elementary, middle and high - are spread out across the county and, along with the regular curriculum, include special and often award-winning programs - from language immersion to STEM offerings to arts and much more.

But, long before January, it's always best to investigate your options and decide whether a magnet school is the right fit for your family and your child or if you'll stick with your base option.

Wake schools offers a variety of opportunities to get to know the magnet schools in the county. Here is what's scheduled:

The Magnet and Early College Schools Fair is 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 5, at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, 2600 Rock Quarry Rd., Raleigh. For parents new to the system or the magnet program, this is a great place to start. Magnet program representatives will be on hand to answer your general questions about the program - from what's offered to details about the application process. You also can meet representatives from every magnet school in the county to learn a bit more about the programs.

Tours at individual schools have begun. Once you've narrowed your options through the address look-up and picked some favorites after attending the magnet fair, check in with the schools you're interested in to find out when their tours are scheduled. They typically happen weekly - and even more often. Some school tours can fill up, so it's best to get a jump on this as early as you can.

Magnet Theme Thursdays are held at 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., on select Thursdays, through Jan. 19. They'll be this Thursday, Nov. 3, and Dec. 1 at Crossroads I, 5625 Dillard Dr., Cary. They move to Crossroads II, 110 Corning Dr., Cary, on Jan. 5 and Jan. 19. You can ask questions about magnet themes and the application and selection process.